Heidi Klum: Why she is being celebrated for her dress on the red carpet at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival

Heidi Klum: This is why she is being celebrated for her appearance on the red carpet at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

You may think what you like about Heidi Klum's looks and outfits, but you have to love her appearance at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The style and design of her pink, layered Elie Saab gown are certainly debatable—it's the long train that makes the dress special.

It was only on Monday – one day before the film festival began – that it was announced that the festival's organizers had decided to change the dress code for the evening screenings at the Grand Théâtre Lumière. For "reasons of decency," according to the official wording on the festival website , "nudity is prohibited on the red carpet as well as in all other areas of the festival." It also states: "Voluminous outfits, especially those with long trains that hinder the smooth running of the event and make it difficult to take seats in the theater, are not permitted. The festival's welcoming teams are obliged to refuse access to the red carpet to anyone who does not comply with these rules."

The new dress code in Cannes causes discussions

The announcement sparked considerable controversy, regardless of whether you're a fan of naked dresses or not, as the dress code on the red carpet in the southern French city has always been considered strict and restrictive. The misogynistic nature of these rules has been pointed out several times in the past. For a long time, high heels were considered mandatory, which led to several well-known actresses protesting: Jennifer Lawrence wore thong sandals with her Dior couture gown in 2023 (though she later said she wasn't aware she was breaking protocol; her other shoes were simply too big for her). In 2016, Julia Roberts even walked the red carpet barefoot, and Kristen Stewart once boldly removed her heels in front of the cameras on the red carpet.

While those in charge in Cannes have apparently learned their lesson and elegant shoes with and without heels are now permitted, the new restrictions seem to be a step backward in other ways. Sure, dress codes make sense to a certain extent to ensure that everyone at events dresses appropriately for the occasion. They can provide security and make choosing an outfit easier. However , as our colleagues at Glamour write, the intentions in Cannes can certainly be questioned: "Instead of celebrating diversity and individual forms of expression, Cannes seems to be relying on these rules to promote a controlled, standardized image of women – and this in an environment that should actually celebrate art, freedom, and creativity."

Heidi Klum defies Cannes dress code

So back to Heidi Klum: When she stepped onto the red carpet last night in her Elie Saab gown, she trailed a long, dramatic train behind her—clearly violating the new dress code. Admittedly, only Heidi Klum herself will know whether this was a conscious statement or whether she and her team of stylists were simply caught off guard by the new rules and didn't have any alternatives.

Nonetheless, the model is being celebrated online for her protest. Hanan Besovic of @ideservecouture even wrote on his platform that Heidi Klum was his "favorite person of the day." With a wink, he added: "Heidi Klum said: 'A ban on dragging? I don't believe it.'"